Rowing attachment for boats



(No Model.)

'S. B.'LARD.

ROWING ATTAGHMENT FOR BOATS.

No. 365,610. Patented June 28, 1887.

' WITNESSES: 6 INVENTOR: BY fflwmg Y ATTORNEYS.

h mp m. Wzihingion, u. c.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SELDEN B. LARD, OF YVATERVILLE, KANSAS.

ROWING ATTACHMENT 'FOR BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,610, dated June 28, 1887.

Application filed July 15, 18%. Serial No. 208,134. (No model.)

To (TLZ'Z whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SELDEN B. LARD, of Waterville,in the county ofMarshall and State of Kansas, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Rowing Attachments forBoats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to thepropulsion of boats by means of valvular oars which open when forced through the water in one direc tion and close in returning, the same being designed to be operated either by hand or by steam.

My improvements consist in the improved construction and arrangement of parts, which I will now proceedto fully describe with reference to the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the rowing attachment applied to a boat. Fig.2 is a vertical cross-section through the line at m of Fig. 1, and Figs. 3 and 4 are details of the valvular oar.

' A represents a boat of any well-known form, transversely in which is firmly fixed a'frame, B, for the rowing attachment. This frame fits the bottom and sides of the boat, and is placed near the middle of the boat, and with it may be formed, as a part thereof, the middle seat, 0, upon which the oarsman sits. This middle I frame ispreferably made of metal, and upon each side of the boat has two upright portions, a and b,'in which are formed journal-bearings for the rowing attachments. As these rowing attachments are exactly alike on both 'sides of the boat, it will only be" necessary to describe one of them. Each consists of ashort horizontal rock-shaft, D, journaled in bearings in the upright sections a b of the transverse frame. This rock-shaft has attached to its inner end two handles, 0 (1, one of which,

0, projects upwardly from the rock -shaft and the other, (I, downwardly from the rockshaft. On the outer end of the rock-shaft is rigidly fixed a short vertical sleeve, 6, in which is carried the Vertical shaft E, having .at its lower end a vertical blade, f, and two lated in the water by the oscillation of the "rock-shaft D through the handles a d.

To provide for propelling the boat backward, the shaft E is adapted to be turned halfway around in its sleeve, so as to reverse the position of its valvular blade, as shown indotted lines at top of Fig. 1; and for this purpose a pinion, g, is rigidly fixed to the top of shaft E,and with it is made to engage a toothed segment, h, mounted upon a vertical axison the rock'shaft. This segment has an arm, 2', moving upon a curved bar, j, and adapted to be locked behind either a shoulder, m, at one end of the curved bar, or another shoulder, a, at the other end of the curved bar. As the segment is moved to eitherof these positions, it serves, through the pinion, to reverse the valvular oar and hold it in such position.

In operating the rowing attachment the oarsman sits facing the bow of the boat, and, catching hold of the lower handles, pulls against the same. This action causes the valvular car to open and press against the water, forcing the boat forward. On the returustroke the bandles are pushed forward, which causes the valvular car to close and pass through the wa ter like a knife.

To back the boat, the valvular cars are reversed by adjusting the segments, as before described, and the operator then pulls upon the upper handles.

If desired, the two handles of the two cars may be coupled together to work with one hand, while the other hand may be employed to work the reversing-segments."

Among the advantages possessed by this attachment, I may mention that it permits the oarsman to face the bow, and thus enables him to see his course. The momentum of the body on the return of the oar also assists the pro gress of the boat, instead of retarding it. An equal leverage is obtained throughout the stroke, and in life-boats the cars are entirely submerged, thus being free from interruption or disengagement on account of rough sea or careening of the boat; also, permitting the boat to be entirely covered over.

If desired, a number of these rowing attachments may be arranged in series and separately operated or connected in series for operation by steam, and when so driven by steam no stoppage of the engine is required for the backing of the boat.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. The oar-shaft E, having fixed blade f and hinged blades or wings f f combined with a rock-shaft bearing a sleeve or journal carrying said oar-shaft and crank-handles,and means for reversing said oar-shaft on its axis, substantially as described.

2. The combination ofthe rock-shaft D,having handles 0 d at one end and sleeve 0 at the other, the oar-shaft E,with valvular blade and pinion g at its upperend, the toothed segment 71 the arm 1', and loekingbar j, substantially as shown and described.

4. The transverse frame B, having the seat.

C,conneeted therewith and fitted transversely to the bottom and sides of the boat, in combination with rowing attachments carried by the upright parts of said frame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

SELDEN B. LARD.

Witnesses:

GEO. HALL, O. l). HALL. 

